Light and Shadows
by LadyRainbow
Summary: Evan Lorne discovers a treasure trove of Ancient artifacts deep in the city. Unfortunately, it holds a secret that puts the Expedition in danger. First SGA fic, please review! Thanks! COMPLETE W/Chapter 6.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, don't make money off 'em.**

**Genre: Adventure/Drama, AU**

**Rating: T/PG-13**

**Word Count: 1960**

**Archive?: Ask me first. Thanks.**

**Pairings: None (thought a bit of unrequited Zelenka/OC. Radek's completely clueless about it!)**

**My first SGA fic, centering on two of my favorite characters, Evan Lorne and Radek Zelenka. I was thrilled to see Lorne as an artist in "Sunday", since I'm also a painter.**

**Please R&R, thanks.**

**Rating: T**

* * *

**One**

"Team Two, this is Team One, report."

Major Evan Lorne raised a hand and his team stopped. He tapped his earpiece and replied, "This is Lorne. We're heading into Sector Twenty-Three A."

Colonel John Sheppard's tone was amused, even more than usual, as he asked, "Find anything interesting?"

Evan glanced up at Doctor Radek Zelenka. The Czech engineer scowled at his computer tablet and muttered under his breath. Lorne had worked with Radek long enough to recognize a few Czech expletives. This time, Radek uttered a whole string of them. Evan sighed; he didn't blame Radek one bit.

"Not really, unless you count empty storage rooms and a waste disposal unit." Evan smothered a grin at more grumbling from Radek. The Marine escort overheard the dark tone and unobtrusively kept their distance. _Funny, _Evan thought, _and I thought they were skittish around McKay._

_And speaking of.._ . "McKay's picked up something...looks like another one of those Ancient laboratories. We're going to check it out. Keep in radio contact, Major."

"Will do, sir. Lorne, out." Privately, he hoped McKay would keep himself out of trouble. Really bad things tended to happen when the Canadians pushed buttons he wasn't supposed to.

Radek echoed Evan's thought. "Rodney and Ancient laboratories. I hope nothing awful will happen...again."

"Colonel Sheppard will make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble," Evan reassured him. Mentally, he added, _I hope. _Aloud, he asked, "What's up next, Doc?"

Radek indicated the next building with a lift of his chin. "There. I am detecting a faint energy reading."

"All right, let's get a move on." He and his team headed in that direction with a sense of purpose. It had been a while since any of Atlantis's teams had explored any new parts of the city. Evan wondered what kind of secrets Atlantis still held, though he had a healthy sense of caution about any leftover Ancient artifacts.

To Evan's amusement, so did Radek. The scientist didn't object to the Marine escort around them, and in fact, had insisted on taking a medic along for the day. Radek kept one eye on his scanner as he spoke to Doctor Marta Cezivic in hushed tones. Cezivic nodded and responded in their native language. Evan would have described them as being 'cute' together, but he'd never dare saying it aloud to either of them.

They rounded a corner and ended up at the entrance to a plaza. "Major?" called Sergeant Van Maarten. "Look at this. It is remarkable!"

Evan nodded and gave a low whistle. "Yeah." The plaza was enclosed on two sides by an intricately carved stone wall. The ground was covered in tiled mosaics, each piece inset with a loving hand and a precise eye. Stone benches dotted the plaza and a marble fountain dominated the center of it. There was no water in it now; the bottom of it shone green in the sunlight.

"Beautiful," breathed Cezivic. "A little piece of paradise in the city."

Radek grunted in agreement, but he seemed more interested in the energy reading. He brought his scanner to a niche in the wall. "Here is the control to the entrance gates. Major, if you would be so kind...?"

Evan nodded and swept his hand over the niche. The security control responded to his ATA gene and a seam cracked open in the wall. He pushed it open and nodded at Van Maarten. Together, the two entered the plaza, with the rest of the Marine contingent behind them. As soon as they secured the area, Evan waved at Radek, Marta, and the rest of the scientists to follow.

"I visited a Roman villa once," Cezivic murmured, "and these mosaics remind me of the ones on the villa's walls. Look at them, it seems as if they were newly made!"

"Not a single trace of age," Evan agreed. He tilted his head to see the mosaics better. Each section seemed to be a small part of an ocean scene. Whoever had made this had a good sense of color and balance; Evan's mother, an art teacher, would have loved seeing this.

Corporal Tenney waved at them from across the plaza. Evan nodded and caught up with the rest of the team. Radek and Doctor Zeina El Hamra were taking readings from a door of an adjacent building. El Hamra smiled at him and pointed at the symbols etched into the doorframe.

"What's it say?" Evan asked her.

"It's not clear, but it seems to be an important site for the Ancients. Some sort of repository."

"Like an archive?"

"Perhaps. I'll try to translate this further." El Hamra sounded distracted as she compared the letters to the ones on her tablet.

Tenney traded glances with Evan; at the Major's nod, Tenney and Van Maarten quietly organized a protective perimeter around the scientists. The military escort slipped into their roles with long practice. Evan watched with a sense of pride. _Colonel Sheppard would be proud of 'em. _

"Sheppard to Lorne."

Evan tapped his com. Someone on Sheppard's end of the line was mad about something. _McKay. _"Go ahead."

"McKay's found some strange database that isn't connected to the main Atlantis system. Looks like we're gonna be a while."

"Somebody's private notes?"

"Maybe. The whole thing's encrypted. Whoever programmed it didn't want their information to be found. Doctor Sanchez thinks it's a detailed inventory of what's in the lab, but McKay thinks it's more involved than that. They're arguing about it right now."

Evan resisted a smile. "So that's the bickering I'm hearing in the background."

Before Sheppard could say anything else, Ronon's aggrieved voice boomed over the link. "I'm gonna go out into the hall and check out the next room. Call me when they're finished arguing."

Evan suppressed a snort of laughter at Sheppard's exasperated sigh. There were times when the colonel's team acted like a bunch of rowdy schoolchildren. "We're in a plaza next to one of the buildings in the northeast sector. You should see these mosaics; they're impressive."

"That from a soldier's or an artist's perspective?"

"Both, actually." Sheppard was one of the few people who knew about his artistic endeavors. It wasn't something Evan advertised aloud. "Zelenka's checking out the source of an energy reading in one of the nearby buildings---"

Suddenly, the inscriptions around the doorframe began to glow, a shimmering blue. Radek swore and took a step back, bumping into El Hamra, who jumped as if he'd given her an electric shock.

"What the---" Van Maarten shouted.

"Get away from the door!" Evan yelled. A wave of energy passed over his skin. The metal of his rifle became white-hot and his fingers jerked as they reflexively dropped it. He cursed as he lost hold of his weapon and as the screech of a fried comm circuit nearly deafened him.

The door rippled as if it were made of water; it reminded him of the Stargate. A blast of white light erupted from its center, barely missing El Hamra and Van Maarten. Radek shouted as he shoved Cezivic out of the way of the beam. It overwhelmed Evan and he tried to fight the overwhelming force pulling at him, but to no avail.

"_Do prdele!" _Radek swore, before the roar swamped Evan's senses. It was the last thing Evan heard before the light faded into blackness.

-----------------------------

"Lorne? Lorne?" John Sheppard yanked out his earpiece as feedback reverberated into his ear. "Son of a---" His legs buckled under him and only Teyla's reflexes saved him from an embarrassing spill onto the floor.

"Are you all right?" she asked him.

"Yeah...I think. Worse than the speakers at a Stones concert," he muttered.

"A...what?"

"I'll explain later." He managed a smile at her and straightened under her grasp. "Rodney? You okay?"

"I'm fine...fine," Rodney snapped, as he shook his right hand and blew on his fingers, "considering I nearly got electrocuted!"

"Where'd that come from?" Doctor Emilia Sanchez asked as she frantically tried to save her translation of the database. A panel next to her sparked and she nearly jumped in Rodney's way.

"Careful!" he told her brusquely. The lights in the Ancient lab faded out and left the room in darkness. A minute later, a soft glow illuminated the various consoles as the emergency power kicked in. "There was a surge in the power grid, and everything's out in this sector of the city. Transporters, lights, everything. I'm trying to reestablish our connection---"

"Sheppard!" It was Ronon, from the adjoining hall.

John and Teyla looked at each other, then made their way to the door. The Satedan stood a few meters away, his blaster pointed at a glowing figure at the end of the corridor. Two other Marines trained their P-90s at the unexpected visitor as well, but it made no reaction to the firepower zeroed in on it.

"Came out of nowhere," Ronon told Sheppard, "just as the lights went out."

No one said anything for a few moments. The light obscured its features, but it was definitely humanoid. It inclined its head at them, as if asking a question.

"It is curious," Teyla whispered. "It wants to know what we are going to do."

"Hold your fire," John ordered quietly. He nodded at Ronon, and the two approached the figure, still training their weapons on it. The figure raised a hand as if in warning; John and Ronon stopped in their tracks.

Then John heard three distinct words in his head: _"No, not you."_

The figure seemed to shrink into itself, then disappeared with an audible pop. It didn't appear again. Ronon scowled, but didn't lower his weapon a fraction.

"That was weird," John said to no one in particular. "It didn't stick around. What _was_ that?"

"Dunno," Ronon rumbled. "It said---"

"'No, not you'," Teyla finished. Her delicate brows knit together in thought. "What did it mean by that?"

One of the Marines looked back at her, confusion on his face. "It said something?"

She glanced at him. "You did not hear it?"

The Marine shook his head. "No, ma'am."

The lights flickered back on, feebly at first, then back to full strength. They all heard Rodney's frustrated sputter from the lab behind them.

"Rodney?" Sheppard asked, glancing over his shoulder at the Canadian.

"I didn't do anything this time!" Rodney snapped back. "The power came back on by itself. We've got communications back---"

Carson Beckett's voice broke into the channel. The Scotsman was obviously in the middle of a conversation with one of his medics. "We're almost there, Marta. Continue to apply pressure to Sergeant Van Maarten's head wound----"

Marta Cezivic's tone was professional as she spoke to her boss, but John Sheppard could hear the tremble in the medic's voice. "Doctor Beckett, Major Lorne and Doctor Zelenka were in front of the building...but they've disappeared!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, don't make money off 'em.**

**Genre: Adventure/Drama, AU**

**Rating: T/PG-13**

**Word Count: 2805**

**Archive?: Ask me first. Thanks.**

**Pairings: None (thought a bit of unrequited Zelenka/OC. Radek's completely clueless about it!)**

**Notes: Where are Evan and Radek, and why have they been taken? The team makes a disturbing discovery, and another member disappears. **

* * *

**Two**

Warm air blew upon his face and it brought the fresh smell of wildflowers. Evan struggled to open his eyes, but exhaustion tugged them closed. _Just a couple of more minutes_, he told himself. _I'll get up in a couple of more minutes._

A soft voice called, "Evan, it's time to get up. Come on, sleepyhead. I've got the canvases and the paints packed in the car. If we don't get moving, we'll miss the sunrise."

"Mom, just a few more minutes, okay?"

"Up, Evan. Now."

He groaned and struggled up to a sitting position. Instead of finding himself under a quilt in his mother's house, he was lying in a dimly lit room. Memories slowly filtered through his brain. He and his mother had found an amazing view of the ocean; they'd spent hours painting on their canvases, side by side. Neither of them talked much, and neither shared their artwork until they were finished. It had always amazed him how two people could take the same view and come up with two different interpretations of it.

Those times had been some of the best of his childhood.

Evan blinked as the present time materialized around him. He sat in the middle of a circular room, with a door set into the wall directly in front of him. The faint light sparkled on the carpet; he took a closer look and saw the thin filaments of gold and silver running through the fabric. Every other room in Atlantis he'd been in had bare floor, so this was unusual.

"Hello? Doctor Zelenka? Doctor Cezivic? Sergeant Van Maarten? Anyone?" His voice echoed in the small chamber, but there was no response.

Evan reached for the flashlight on his belt, but it wasn't there. He scowled as he made another disturbing discovery: his P-90 and its spare ammunition were also missing. He still had his canteen and a couple of Powerbars stuffed into his jacket, so at least he wasn't going to starve or die of thirst anytime soon. The pieces of his radio mike were strewn on the carpet behind him.

"That's just great. I'm stuck in here."

The only way to go was forward, so he got to his feet and headed towards the door. The lights came on and he saw the room clearly for the first time. Its walls were painted a light shade of blue, with faint white swirls running through like wisps of fog. The line of curves led his eye to a line of pedestals that stood along the entire perimeter of the chamber. Tiny pieces of tile were inset into the edge of the pedestals, but nothing had been set on top of them.

"Strange," Evan murmured. "I wonder what---" His foot depressed a square in the floor and a bright spotlight shot past him. The light brightened to the point where he had to shield his eyes with his hand, and when it faded, the image of a beautiful woman stood in front of him. She wore a long white gown adorned with a rose pink sash around her slender waist. The exotically slanted eyes reminded Evan a bit of Teyla Emmagan.

"Who are you?"

The woman smiled gently at him. "My name is Nadriya. Be welcome to my humble space. I am the owner of this wonderful collection."

"Owner?" he repeated. He looked over at the now-empty pedestal. "Of what?"

Nadriya didn't seem to hear him, but the amber-gold eyes flashed a warning. "You have been granted a special dispensation to enter these rooms. The treasures here come from a variety of worlds, a variety of cultures, some of which, unfortunately, no longer exist. If you are here, you must know that no word of this should ever reach the Council's ears. Ever. So I invite you to look, to take in the beauty that once was, and to remember.

."Wait! There aren't any---"

The image of Nadriya disappeared, leaving the room again in semi-darkness. Evan frowned and looked around the empty room. _If this is supposed to be the Ancients' equivalent of a treasure vault, where is the treasure? And why was she so determined not to let the other Ancients know about it?_

He made a slow circuit of the room, looking in the corners and crevices, around and over the pedestals. There wasn't even a trace of dust, which struck him as really odd. Evan came face to face with a pedestal at about eye level.

"Huh," he said aloud. "This isn't tile set into the edge of this. It's a single strip of something like paua shell." It certainly fit the room's ocean theme. He ran a thumb along the surface of the strip and felt a sudden jolt through his body.

An elaborate clay pot materialized in front of him. It was decorated with delicate gold lines and glossy red paint, with an unknown script running around its handle. Evan gasped, for he'd never seen anything like it. The paints were as vibrant as the day they were mixed. The pot had been lovingly made by a true artisan's hand.

He ran a gentle finger along the edge of the pot to find it solid under his touch. There was a symbol etched into the top of the handle: an upside down "V" with a dot in the middle. It reminded Evan of the Stargate symbol. His finger brushed it, then...

Pain drove him to his knees and his vision clouded with agony. When he was able to see again, he saw the brief flash of red-orange flame and felt a wash of heat pass over his skin. Sounds of battle rang all around, women and children screaming, men crying out to their gods. Evan stumbled forward and his knee hit a piece of brick. He managed to turn his head to see several others strewn around, along with shards of smashed pottery.

_A kiln. Someone's destroyed the pottery kiln._ The knowledge became clear: the potter's village had been attacked and destroyed._ By whom? The Wraith?_ Nadriya had hinted that some of the cultures from where the treasure came no longer existed. Whoever the potter had been, he or she was long dead.

_Yes, yes, you. You will see and you will remember. _

Evan saw a blur of movement to his right, then a heavy object crashed into the back of his head. The fact that he immediately lost all control of his body was a very bad sign. He couldn't stop himself from pitching face-forward into the dirt, and something sticky began to flow across his cheek.

_Oh, crap..._was his last thought before darkness claimed him.

* * *

"Major, Major Lorne! Can you hear me?"

He tried to make sense of the voice, but it spoke in a language he didn't know. Cool water passed across his lips and it helped chased away the cobwebs in his head. "Gotta quit passing out," he muttered. "This is starting to get old."

"Thank God. I was beginning to really worry whether or not you were going to wake up."

Evan managed to open his eyes and saw Doctor Radek Zelenka kneeling over him. The Czech's glasses were sitting crookedly on his nose, and there was a fresh bruise on his left cheek. "Doc? What happened? You okay?"

"Bruised black and blue, no broken bones though." Radek pushed himself up to a sitting position and Evan could now see the faint outline of his flyaway hair in the dim light. "Got sucked in through the front door. Whatever has brought us here has stripped us of anything useful."

"Lost your equipment too?"

"All I have are my glasses." The scientist's tone was both sarcastic and darkly humorous at the same time, and Evan couldn't help but chuckle. "I got the water from your canteen."

"Thanks." Evan tried to get up, but Radek gently pushed him back against the wall. "I guess I hit my head somewhere and you found me sprawled on the floor?"

"Basically, yes. You must have struck your head hard enough to open a cut; it was difficult to clean and bandage it, but luckily, it's stopped bleeding." Radek sighed. "If Carson were here, he'd probably say you have a concussion."

Evan reached behind him and found a bulky bandage at the back of his head. "Did a good job there, Doc."

Radek blushed. "I found your medkit in your jacket. Spent several years in the Czechoslovakian army, before the liberation. I know how to field dress wounds."

"Then I'm lucky you're around." A hint of memory tried to break through to the surface, something about a clay pot, but he couldn't remember it. He sighed and let it go. "I take it we're cut off from the rest of the team?"

"Yes. We've both lost our radios."

"Great." Evan carefully turned his head to find himself and Radek in another circular room, this time devoid of any furniture. The effort was too much and he closed his eyes. Reality seemed to shift again and he floated above it, as if he was in a tank of warm water.

"Major! Don't close your eyes! You have to stay awake!"

But Evan didn't hear him at all as the world fell away again.

* * *

Elizabeth Weir didn't leave the main tower very often, but once Colonel Sheppard had told her what happened, she accompanied them to to where Major Lorne and Doctor Zelenka had vanished. She glanced down at Rodney McKay, who was taking energy readings of the door itself. He didn't look up at her until she spoke to him.

"Rodney?" she asked.

"Nothing yet. There's some sort of forcefield that's blocking our Life Detection Sensors, so there's no way of telling if Lorne and Zelenka are all right. I think they tripped some kind of security system."

"Could Lorne's ATA gene have triggered it? Is that why he was taken?"

"Maybe, but Zelenka's gone too, and he doesn't have the gene," Rodney pointed out in a brittle tone. "It could have been simple as just proximity, that they were the closest to the door."

"Keep working on it, Rodney." Elizabeth gazed at the scientist for a moment; McKay was worried, but as usual, he hid it under a brusque manner. She could see the tension in his features, hear the concern under the angry bluster. Of course, Rodney would never admit being worried for his second-in-command.

Carson Beckett approached her and she nodded at the doctor. "How's Van Maarten?"

"Just a wee bit of a bump on the head. He got the worst of it; the others have mostly minor bruises, but Marta did a good job." Carson looked over at Cezivic, who was next to El-Hamra at the doorway. "Any sign of 'em?"

"No, but Rodney's working on it." Elizabeth looked over at Cezivic; the woman's eyes were puffy and red, as if she'd been crying. "Is Marta all right?"

Carson hesitated, then answered in a low voice. "She's having a rough time of it. Radek pushed her out of way of the beam that swept him and Major Lorne into the building. I think she feels guilty."

"That it should've been her that was taken, and not Radek?"

Carson nodded. "I believe she has something of a sweet spot for him, but of course, you didna hear it from me."

She smiled, despite the circumstances. Carson picked up on little details like that, but he would never tell a soul. "Of course, Carson. I won't tell her. I'd better make sure she's all right." She joined Doctor Cezivic at the doorway to the building and immediately was intrigued by the elaborate inscription there. Cezivic gave her a tremulous smile as she approached.

"Doctor Weir! I am glad to see you!"

"I came as soon as I could, Marta. When Colonel Sheppard told me about the inscription, I thought I'd take a look for myself." She turned to El-Hamra. "Have you made any progress?"

El-Hamra nodded as she handed Elizabeth her tablet. "The ornamentation is part of the message. Quite clever, actually. I missed it the first time, but once I realized what it was, it was easier to understand."

"What does it say?" asked John Sheppard. The colonel had come up silently to stand next to Elizabeth.

"It's not clear, but it seems to be a private dwelling of some sort. The inscription has a string of numbers and letters, then the word 'Nadriya'."

John's brow furrowed as he said slowly, "You mean like a street address?"

"I think it may be, Colonel. This 'Nadriya' may have been the owner of this dwelling. There is more writing, Doctor Weir, but I haven't had time to translate it. It's quite complex. I would appreciate your assistance."

Elizabeth nodded and followed El-Hamra to where a second inscription had been chiseled into the wall. As she began to examine it, she heard Cezivic murmur, "He saved my life."

"What?"

"I said, 'he saved my life'."

"Major Lorne?"

"No, Radek. If he hadn't pushed me out of the way---" Cezivic was close to tears, though she tried to hide them. Elizabeth reached over and patted her on the shoulder.

"We'll get him back, Marta. We'll get him back."

Cezivic managed a smile at her, then turned back to talk to Carson. Elizabeth traded looks with John, who only nodded agreement, then she refocused on the job ahead of her. The inscription did include letters and numbers, and the name "Nadriya" appeared several times. The second set of symbols appeared much newer than the ones around the doorway. Elizabeth frowned, read it several times, then double-checked her translation.

"It's some sort of repository, a clearinghouse for objects no one wanted anymore."

John's eyes narrowed. "You mean like an Ancient junk shop?"

"More like an antique store," El-Hamra said. "or a highly specialized museum."

John's brow furrowed in thought. "Lorne told me his mom used to teach art and that she used to drag him along on her trips. You think that could be the reason why he got sucked in there?"

"Makes sense," Elizabeth said slowly. "But then, what about Radek?"

Suddenly, Rodney shouted a warning and waved his arms. "It's glowing again! Get away from the door!"

"Take cover!" John yelled as he grabbed Elizabeth's arm. The three of them retreated back a safe distance on the plaza and joined Rodney and Carson behind a row of marble benches. The Ancient writing seemed to flare brightly in the sunshine, then expand outward, like a soap bubble being blown from a pipe. It stretched to encompass the area where they'd been standing before Rodney's warning, then stopped abruptly, as if it had hit a wall.

Elizabeth shaded her eyes with her hand. Deep within the light was a shadowed figure of a woman. It looked directly at her, and Elizabeth shivered at the malevolence of that gaze. Then she heard a voice in her head, like the chime of bells.

"_No, not you. You are like the others. You take and take and take, and never give. One day, you will reap the seeds of your arrogance." _The figure turned and walked back towards the doorway, then the light faded into nothingness.

"It was that voice again," Rodney sputtered. "She said, '_No, not you. _What the hell does that mean?"

"'You take and take and take and never give. One day, you will reap the seeds of your arrogance.'" John repeated the quote. "I wonder who's she referring to. The Ancients?"

Elizabeth shivered again. It made sense; many of the Ancients had believed in their inherent superiority, even if it wasn't true. "Maybe. But why?"

Cezivic touched her arm. "Doctor Weir, we're missing someone. Doctor Beckett is gone."

"Carson?!" Elizabeth whirled around. An open medkit was left where he'd been, with its contents scattered all over the pavilion. She met John and Rodney's horrified expressions. "Oh no. She's taken him too."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, don't make money off 'em.**

**Genre: Adventure/Drama, AU**

**Rating: T/PG-13**

**Word Count: 2652**

**Archive?: Ask me first. Thanks.**

**Pairings: None (thought a bit of unrequited Zelenka/OC. Radek's completely clueless about it!)**

**Notes: Evan gets whumped (again), and Radek 's on his own. More clues to who Nadiya is and what the heck is going on. I also expanded on Evan's geology background My husband's family used to go gem hunting while he was growing up and I included that. It makes sense for Evan to have that kind of experience, considering in "Enemy Mine" (SG-1), he was running a naquadah mine before coming to Atlantis. **

* * *

**Three**

When Evan opened his eyes, he wasn't completely alone. Pottery and statues occupied the pedestals and an occasional painting adorned the walls. The ache in his head had died to a dull throb, but his throat felt dry. Evan reached for his canteen, unscrewed it, and took a small sip.

_That's funny. It's only half full now. What happened?_ He had a faint memory of someone giving him water...but who was it? Evan frowned; the person's name was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't recall who it had been. Maybe it would come back to him later.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the room and brought him unsteadily to his own feet. A woman in a white, sleeveless gown ghosted past him without acknowledging his presence. She stopped at the doorway, swept her hand over the control panel to her right and walked through. Evan scrambled to follow, but the door hissed shut before he got to it.

He reached out with his left hand and touched the control panel, but nothing happened_. It's probably keyed to whoever that woman is. What's her name? Nadriya. So how am I gonna get out of here?_

Suddenly, the door's surface rippled and Evan felt a hard pull on his body. Before he could react, it had completely enveloped him and spit him out the other side. His reflexes kicked in and he rolled to his knees. His head spun and he had to will himself not to get sick.

"Ow," he muttered.

He blinked in the low light to see the image of Nadriya at the other side of the room. The outline of a suit of alien armor was visible through her body, so he knew this was probably a hologram of her. Nadriya was bent over a tray of exotic jewelry, carefully noting details on a computer tablet. She straightened up and glanced over his shoulder at him.

"I believe the exhibits over there are suited to your temperament," she said warmly. "Just be careful when you handle them."

"Wait a minute---" A sparkle of light caught his eye and he turned his head in that direction. Along one wall was a collection of gemstones rings and necklaces in various metal settings. Nearby were faceted crystal sculptures made of exotic minerals. The lights threw rainbows on the ceiling in ablaze of color.

His jaw hit the floor. He'd gone gem hunting with his uncle's family as a teenager; emeralds in North Carolina, turquoise in New Mexico, diamonds in Arkansas. One of his uncle's friends was a master jeweler who knew how to tumble and polish the raw material and make exquisite pieces. Even those didn't hold a candle to _these_ treasures.

"You specialize in the composition and the uses of the treasures within the earth. The stones hold great interest for you, I can see. They tell stories that most people cannot understand, but you can."

Evan jumped at Nadriya's honeyed voice in his ear. He hadn't even heard her approach, which was a bad sign. He tried to turn his head to address her, and succeeded with difficulty. It was as if his limbs were stuck in molasses and he felt a flare of pure panic as her breath tickled the back of his neck.

"How'd you know that?" he whispered.

"How did I know you are a geologist by training?" Nadriya chuckled as he shivered. "I know many things about you, Evan. You aren't like the others."

A drop of sweat slid down his forehead and into his hair. He didn't even bother asking how she knew his name. "How am I different from the others?"

"You protect life, not seek to destroy it. You struggle to understand, not presume superiority. You appreciate the soul, not deny it doesn't exist." She chuckled again and Evan gritted his teeth against a wash of warmth that set his face ablaze. "And you are not ashamed of who you are."

"What do you want with me?"

"To understand and to learn about those whom the Lanteans wished to destroy in _their _quest for knowledge." Nadriya's tone was hypnotic. "And then to reveal that knowledge to the unenlightened. The Lanteans were not as benevolent as they seemed."

"Lanteans?" Evan wasn't familiar with the term, but he guessed what it meant. "You mean the Ancients?"

Nadriya chuckled. "I suppose to your people, the Lanteans would seem ancient, yes. The word 'ancient' implies great age, which implies great wisdom. In many ways, they were hardly wise."

Evan knew that the Ancients had not been perfect; hearing Rodney McKay's complaints about their malfunctioning technology was proof of that. They'd waltzed back to Atlantis and practically booted the Expedition out with little more than a polite, "Thank you, we'll take over from here." They weren't exactly high on Evan's list, but the fact still was that they had built Atlantis.

The artifacts came from cultures that the _Ancients _had wiped out. Evan shivered again, this time with revulsion. _Why?_

"The answers are here. Let me show you." She slid her palms down his arms in a seductive manner that made him blush again. He wasn't an innocent, but this blatant show of control both unnerved and angered him. He couldn't stop her, and his voice was frozen deep in his throat.

_She isn't a hologram if she can touch me! Dammit, let go of me!_ She guided his hands to an animal statue carved out of smooth rose quartz and placed his fingers on the surface. His thumb brushed against the symbol on the top of the statue and a jolt of electricity coursed through him.

_Oh, hell, here we go again..._

* * *

Radek Zelenka cursed as Major Lorne's body went into convulsions. He had been unable to rouse Lorne from deep unconsciousness and panic nearly overcame him. Then running footsteps approached them and Carson Beckett fell to his knees beside Radek. The Scotsman swore oaths under his breath as he took charge.

"Careful, Radek, we have to make sure he doesn't hurt himself. Turn the major onto his side; we have to make sure his airway's clear---"

"Carson! The major struck his head and opened a cut. I cleaned and bandaged it, and he woke up briefly, but I wasn't able to keep him awake." Radek glanced sideways at the doctor. "How did you get in here?"

"I dunno. One minute I was out on the plaza, taking cover behind a marble bench with Elizabeth and the others...the next, I was in a dimly lit room surrounded by broken shards of pottery." Carson managed a shrug, even as he and Radek held on to Lorne. "There was a burst of light from the door to the building---"

"Yes, that's how we were sucked in too. I've spent some time trying to find a way out of here, but there isn't any." Radek blew out a breath as he felt the shudders ease, and in moments, Lorne was still. "We need to get the major out of here."

Carson nodded grimly. "He needs to be in the Infirmary. I don't have my medkit with me and if he's having seizures---" He broke off what he was going to say, but Radek knew what would happen if they didn't get out of here: Major Lorne would die.

A shadow fell over the walls, making Radek jump. It gathered itself into the faint image of a woman wearing an Ancient gown. Her dark hair was tied back in a severe bun, her features hard with determination. Carson sucked in a breath as the apparition hovered a foot or so off the floor, then moved deeper into the room. It stopped and turned expectantly towards them.

"Who is she?" Radek whispered.

"She's wearing the same sort of dress that Elizabeth's 10,000-year-old counterpart wore in the stasis chamber," Carson whispered back. "She's got to be an Ancient. I think she wants us to follow her."

"We can't leave Major Lorne, and we can't move him."

"Aye." He narrowed his eyes at the Ancient. "I don't know if she understands that---"

The woman raised a hand and pointed at Radek, then made a beckoning gesture. Then she turned slightly to Carson and shook her head. She turned and began floating away from them.

"She wants you to follow her, Radek. I'll stay here with Evan."

He swallowed hard, but he knew that Carson was more qualified to help Lorne than he was. "Take care of him," he said.

Carson clapped him on the shoulder in reassurance. "I will. Go, lad."

Radek managed a smile, then got up and followed the ghostly woman. She paused by the far wall and lifted her hand to a control panel. He frowned, for he could have sworn this was not here when he looked for a way out of the room.

"I don't have the ATA Gene," he spoke aloud, "but Carson does. Maybe he should---"

The woman turned to him and he could _feel_ her glare. He swallowed again and passed his hand over the panel. The door slid open, much to his surprise. She passed through the portal, with Radek following close behind. The door slid shut behind him, cutting him off from Carson. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.

* * *

Rodney had set up several laptops in the Ancient laboratory to process the information from the laboratory's computers. He programmed others to cross-index that information with the main Atlantis database. So far, what he, Zeina El-Hamra, and Elizabeth had analyzed was just short of amazing.

His screen currently displayed a manifest from an Ancient ship. It listed artifacts that matched many of those in the laboratory archive. Vases, tapestries, jewelry, pottery...a virtual treasure trove of items from many worlds in the Pegasus galaxy.

_Daniel Jackson would die if he saw all this, _Rodney thought. Then he mentally sighed and added, _Again. Geez, the man's come back from the dead enough times..._

"I wonder what Daniel would say about all this."

He rolled his eyes at Zeina El-Hamra . "Daniel? What, you two on first name basis?"

El-Hamra chuckled. "I worked with him at the SGC before coming here. The man is a certified linguistic genius." She gave him a sideways look. "Of course, _you _are a genius of two galaxies, while he is of only one."

"Flattery isn't going to go far with me, Hamster." Despite his words, Rodney felt honored by the sincerity of her tone. He was horrible with names, and hers was no exception, but he'd stuck her with that nickname after an incident with Carson Beckett, a mouse retrovirus, and mutant killer rodents on PXU-398. At least, Rodney used the nickname consistently, which said something. After all, it took months before he got Zelenka's name right.

The thought of Radek sobered him. Who knew what kind of horrors the Czech was experiencing in that building? Evan Lorne and Carson were also trapped in there; how much longer before someone _else_ got sucked into that Ancient equivalent of a black hole?

The laptop he was working on beeped, indicating it had found something. He scrolled down the screen and shook his head. "Oh, no. This is so not good."

"What is it?" El-Hamra asked.

"This inventory has more than just a list of antiques. Look here---" He pointed at one set of symbols. "That look familiar to you?"

She nodded. "That looks like a Gate address."

"And it's not just any planet." Rodney split the screen into two, with the inventory on the left and a star map on the right. "MRF-197."

"Wasn't that the one with the Ancient device that nearly sucked your brains out?"

Rodney huffed, exasperated. "Thank you for the reminder, Hamster. The next one's PXJ-533---"

"The random personality switcheroo thing?"

He winced. Now he knew how it felt to be within Ronon's body, with some of the Satedan's more caveman personality traits. It was not an experience he wanted to repeat. Ever. At least he'd been spared being stuck in Teyla's body, unlike Sheppard. The colonel still refused to talk about the ordeal.

"MTX-232---"

"The fire suppression system that nearly drowned Lorne's team and half a city with them?"

Rodney huffed again. "That's the point. On every planet on this list, there was an Ancient device that didn't work the way it was supposed to, and half of those things nearly killed an important member of the Expedition...me."

"You mean they left a booby trap for anyone who came after them. That way, no one could scrutinize their actions too closely."

"Precisely." Rodney snapped his fingers. "The question becomes, what were they hiding?"

Elizabeth's voice came from the doorway. "I might have a piece to that puzzle, Rodney. "I looked up the name 'Nadriya' in Atlantis's database. Turns out she wasn't exactly Public Enemy Number One to the Ancients, but she was close enough to it."

"Really? The Ancients hated her?" Rodney frowned as Elizabeth came over and pulled up her research on El-Hamra's screen.

"She was a pretty big thorn in their side," John Sheppard said. Rodney jumped; he hadn't even heard Sheppard enter the room after Elizabeth. "Didn't exactly agree with their rules. Sounded like she was somewhat of a rebel."

Rodney's mouth twitched upward. "Ah, something you're quite familiar with, Colonel?"

"Let's just say she was very spirited, Rodney."

Elizabeth cleared her throat, then read aloud, "She was a vocal critic of the Council during the war with theWraith. The Ancients had sought allies in their fight, but only succeeding in alienating many of those potential allies. Skirmishes broke out, resulting in the destruction of countless civilizations. Nadriya and her followers wanted to preserve the remnants of those dying cultures, against the Council's wishes."

"Heartless," El-Hamra said.

"Look at it from their perspective, Zeina. The Ancients devoted all their resources to their war with the Wraith. They didn't have the manpower to _spare_. They were already losing by the time Nadriya entered the scene." Elizabeth shook her head. "It didn't stop her from trying. She got caught in a Wraith attack on PXV-784---"

John narrowed his eyes. "That's the pheromone booby-trap planet, isn't it?"

"Thanks for the reminder," Rodney shot back, his face red from embarrassment. "As I recall, _everyone_ was affected by the pheromones, including you."

"I wasn't the one who decided skinny-dipping in the hot springs was a good idea---"

Elizabeth fought to keep a straight face. "Nadriya's group was either killed or culled in the attack. She was the only survivor. The Ancients found her and brought her back, but she'd been severely injured. Her mental state was fragile, and the Ancients provided her with the best of care. They allowed her to live in the rooms above her studio, permanently."

"They kept her a prisoner in her own dwelling," El-Hamra read. "I still say they are heartless."

John shook his head. "But what does all this have to do with Lorne, Zelenka and Beckett?"

_'No, not you. You are like the others. You take and take and take, and never give. One day, you will reap the seeds of your arrogance.' _I think she was referring to the Ancients, but she also directed it to us." Elizabeth's voice was quiet. "Think about it. What do Evan, Radek and Carson have in common?"

John frowned. "Carson's a doctor. Zelenka's an engineer. Lorne's a soldier. Not much in common there."

"All three give of themselves selflessly, John. Yes, Carson's a doctor, but he does it because he _wants_ to. Radek does it when he helps you when Atlantis is in a crisis, Rodney. The same with Evan; he's your executive officer, and how many times has he saved your skin when you're in trouble off-world?" Elizabeth raised a quizzical eyebrow at both men. "And they're so quiet about it, we hardly notice it."

Rodney flushed and studied the screen in front of him, while John shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. She was right, of course she was right, but neither man dealt with emotional issues well. El Hamra said nothing, for she felt this was an awkward moment among the senior staff.

"All right...maybe you have a point, but it still doesn't answer why Nadiya took them." Rodney tapped keys on his laptop as he spoke, "or how we'll get them back."

"We have to contact Nadriya again and get her to release them." Elizabeth said in a resolute tone. "We have to find out what is it she wants and how we can settle this."

"How are you planning to get this woman to talk to us again? Every time she shows up, all she does is complain about how selfish and arrogant we are."

"Rodney's got a point. What if she won't talk with us?"

Elizabeth pressed her lips together and glanced at El Hamra. "She'll talk to us. It's obvious she wants something, but if we don't know what it is, we can't do anything. I have an idea that might work."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, don't make money off 'em.**

**Genre: Adventure/Drama, AU**

**Rating: T/PG-13**

**Word Count: 3031**

**Archive?: Ask me first. Thanks.**

**Pairings: None (though a bit of unrequited Zelenka/OC. Radek's completely clueless about it!)**

**Notes: Some scenes of the Pegasus Galaxy inhabitants during the time of the Wraith/Ancient war. Evan convinces Nadriya to an agreement, while Radek gets whumped trying to find a way out. You'll see Sergeant Stackhouse in this chapter.**

**Language notes: Czech (Zelenka and Marta Cezivic): **_**Ježiši, neuvertielny, **_**[Jesus, unbelievable.] **_**Zatracený dvere**_**! Damn *** door!, **_**Ty vole! **_**[Damn it! or something mildly stronger than that], Radek,**_** co je vàm? **__**Nehybejte se! [**_**Radek, what's wrong? Don't move!/Stay still!]**_**Ne, màm se dobře![ **_**No, I'm all right/I'm okay], **_**My to máme. [**_**We have it.]**

**Thanks to Stargate Wiki, LocalLingo (a Czech language site at http (colon)(double backslash)www(dot)locallingo(dot)com(slash)index(dot)html , and the Langsoft Multilingual Dictionary at http(colon)(double backslash)www(dot)slovnik(dot)cz**

* * *

**Four**

Evan could only watch in horror as scene after scene played in front of his eyes. He stood at the top of a hill, overlooking the entrance to a mine located deep in the mountains of some long-forgotten planet. Its natives were forced to dig, sift and carry loads of mineral ore to the processing plants in the nearby valley. Evan glanced sideways at Nadriya, who glared at the people below.

"This is what the Lanteans wanted from them," she told him. She held a sparkling gray-green powder in her cupped hands. "This is lyktorium. When it is mixed with other metals, it becomes impenetrable by laser beams and explosive devices. As a soldier, you can appreciate the advantages of controlling the production of such a substance."

Evan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I can. So, they enslaved these people to get the lyktorium?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Nadriya said, though her bitter tone made it clear she was only quoting. "In times of war, we find ourselves doing horrible things. We only convince ourselves that it is justified." She laughed shortly. "The natives used it to construct their dwellings and temples and to make their holy relics. They depended on the lyktorium so much; they couldn't live without it."

"So the Ancients found them easy pickings."

Her brow furrowed at the strange expression, but she understood the meaning. "Yes. Too easy. When they retreated and made the decision to flee through the Stargate, they destroyed everything so the Wraith could not use the lyktorium or the knowledge of how to process and refine it."

Evan swallowed hard as he watched a young boy, maybe only six or seven years old, struggle with an overflowing basket of powder. The boy's father put out a steadying hand and helped his son on the path to the processing plant. He shook his head. "Makes strategic sense, but..."

Nadriya's eyes glittered as she put a hand on his arm. Again, Evan shivered at her touch. A poisonous warmth flooded his body and he found himself paralyzed to the spot. "Let me take you away from here, Evan. Let me show you things as they should be."

She took him on a whirlwind tour of images and sounds. They attended a coming of age party on PXC-155, with the guest of honor singing her own songs that she'd created herself. A visit to a glass factory on MJX-760 came next. Evan watched as the master glass blower fashioned sculptures, mugs and intricate pieces. He recognized them from the pedestals in Nadriya's gallery.

A painter on PXM-334, who used light as his medium instead of acrylics or watercolor. A seamstress on MXR-452, whose silk creations caught the rays of an alien sun and sparkled like diamonds. Artists and artisans from long ago, who no longer were alive, but still present through the artifacts in Nadriya's gallery.

All of them had been wiped out, their cultures obliterated by either the Wraith or the Ancients.

"Why are you showing me this?" Evan whispered. "Why me?"

"You and I are kindred spirits, Evan, despite the unfortunate defect that nature bestowed on you."

He turned to her with a scowl. "What defect? What are you talking about?" Insight dawned on him and everything fell into place. "The ATA Gene. You're calling it a defect?"

She chuckled, but it sounded harsh to his ears. "You are one of them, Evan. One of the Lanteans' children who returned to the City, but you are not like them. There are others like us who do not deify what the Lanteans did here in this Galaxy. You do not follow blindly in awe, or believe in their great omnipotence." Nadriya's eyes shimmered with hate as she gazed at him. "Together, we will exact our revenge for all the crimes they have made against the natives of this Galaxy."

He took a step back. "Nadriya, the Lanteans as you knew them are gone. They---"

"Not all of them. As long as the defective gene exists, _they_ will always exist. Some of your people possess it, so we will start with them."

"Killing them all won't bring back the dead." Evan took another step back as she advanced toward him."As long as you keep the memories of those lost people alive, _they_ will never die. Don't you understand...you thumbed your nose at the Ancients by preserving their artwork, preserving their culture. In the end, you've won."

Nadriya froze and tilted her head as if listening to something Evan couldn't hear. He thought he heard something on the wind, faint but noticeable. A voice. No, voices. Plural.

"_Damn it all, lad, don't die on me! You hang on, Major!"_

"_Nadriya, if you're here, I would like to talk with you. I'm unarmed and alone. You have nothing to fear from me."_

Evan felt a surge of hope. The first voice sounded like Carson Beckett; there was no mistaking that heavy Glaswegian brogue. The second was the cool and collected tone of Elizabeth Weir. "That's Doctor Weir, the leader of our expedition, Nadriya. She will listen to you and what you have to say. At least, give her a chance." Evan paused and added, "Doctor Weir doesn't have the ATA Gene. She isn't one of Them." He deliberately capitalized the word to make his point.

Nadriya flashed him a look of disbelief. "She is one of those who think the Lanteans do no wrong."

Despite the situation, Evan laughed and shook his head. "I don't think so. I can't count the number of times Doctor Weir has to deal with situations when someone's stumbled over some Ancient technology that doesn't quite work the way it's supposed to. She's aware that the Ancients aren't perfect and I can tell you she doesn't worship them."

"She tries to learn the language---"

"To understand Them better. She likes meeting different people and learn about different cultures. That's her job. Like I said, give her a chance. You might be pleasantly surprised."

Nadriya still didn't look convinced, but she nodded. "Very well. I will talk with your Doctor Weir. I will give her a chance, as you phrase it." She reached over and put her fingers on his temples. "Your physician---Carson, isn't it---is another one who has outgrown the petty narrow-mindedness. Tell him what you have experienced, what you have seen. Let him assist you in not letting our hopes die."

Evan nodded back. "I will."

"Then we will see each other again soon." Her voice echoed as if she was far away, and Evan felt as if he was falling down a dark well...

* * *

...and with a start, he found himself lying on the floor of a circular room, with Carson hovering over him. He blinked, disoriented for a moment, then it all came back to him. He tried to sit up, but Carson pushed him back down.

"Thank God, Major. I nearly lost you again."

"_Again_? What do you mean, 'again'?" The pain in his head, while still there, was a lot more tolerable. "What happened? Where's Doctor Zelenka? How'd you get in here?"

Carson sighed and told him all that had happened since he'd become unconscious. Bits and pieces returned to him: investigating the plaza, the beam that had swept him and Zelenka into the building, the injury that had knocked him out. Evan's eyes widened as Carson told him about the Ancient who had taken Zelenka out of the room, presumably to find a way out.

_How can Nadriya be in two places at once? How could she have been with me and Zelenka at the same time? Is that one of Nadriya's abilities, as a hologrpahic projection? Or is there something else she isn't telling me?_

He set his musings aside and asked, "How long has it been since Zelenka's been gone?"

"It's hard to tell time in here, but I'd say at least half an hour." Carson felt the bandage at the back of Evan's head; he didn't even flinch. "For a man who's had a severe concussion, you don't seem to be doing too badly."

"I remember I was feeling pretty lousy." His eyes widened again. "I had a seizure, didn't I?"

Carson looked unhappy, but he nodded. "Two, actually. The second time, you almost died."

_Nadriya must've repaired whatever was causing those seizures. She may be a little obsessed---okay, a lot obsessed and not thinking straight---but she did try to help me._ Evan sighed and rubbed his temples; he could still feel her touch. "Doc, I'm gonna need your help with something. I know it's gonna sound fantastic, but---"

Carson's mouth quirked up into a dry smile. "Son, this whole experience is quite unbelievable to most people, but I've learned to expand my horizons in my old age."

"Uh...I'm not gonna comment on your age, Doc. You've got the needles." Evan's smile faded as he remembered how serious their situation was. "Like I said, I'm gonna need your help with this..."

* * *

If there was one thing Radek Zelenka hated, it was not knowing what he was walking into. He swore under his breath as he trudged behind the glowing Ancient, and avoiding the various pedestals and tables in the process. As he went through room after room, the whole place reminded him of Prague's grand museums, except here, all the exhibits were missing.

"How much farther?" he asked.

The apparition turned and shook its head. It lifted a hand to a heavily locked door. Radek noticed a series of panels inset into the door frame; they looked similar to the ones that housed control crystals. Immediately, he examined the panels, talking aloud to himself as he did.

"Je_žiši, neuvertielny," _Radek muttered to himself as he surveyed the tangled wires and relays that sprouted from the panels like overgrown weeds. As he tried to move a bundle of wires aside to get at a crystal, the panel sparked and made him jump backward. "_Zatracený dvere_!"

Far behind him, Major Lorne was dying, and his life depended on whether or not Radek could find a way to open this damn door. He shook the uncomfortable tingle out of his fingers, crouched down and went back to work. It reminded him of a series of Christmas lights; if one connection didn't work, nothing worked. If he had his equipment, he could zero in on the non-functional circuit. As it was, he was forced to do it the old-fashioned way.

He paused several times to wipe the sweat off his forehead, but didn't stop. He focused on the task at hand and not on the memory of Lorne's body arching in a seizure. At least Carson was there to help him.

Radek didn't know how much time had passed, but finally, he found the faulty connection. He swapped the burned-out crystal for a whole one that he'd found in a nearby console. The doorframe lit up as power hummed from it. Radek shouted with joy, but it died when he realized that power was gathering for something really, really _big_...

"_Ty vole!"_ He barely had time to brace himself and think, _Why do these things always happen to me, _when the door expanded around him, pulled him through, and dumped him on the other side. He lay there, unmoving for a moment, as he tried to catch his breath.

The warmth of sun on his face. A cool breeze off the ocean. His eyes widened in disbelief. _He was outside. He'd escaped the building. He could get help._ The knowledge spurred him to action. Radek unsteadily got to his feet and staggered across the plaza.

He ran headlong into Doctor Marta Cezivic. She caught him before he tumbled to his knees. "Radek,_ co je vàm? _You look terrible..._Nehybejte se!"_

"_Ne, màm se dobře!" _He tried to shake off her grip, despite the fact she'd helped him to a sitting position on the ground and was trying to keep him still. "I am fine---"

"Doctor Zelenka!" Radek recognized the burly form of Sergeant Stackhouse. . "Are you all right? Where are Major Lorne and Doctor Beckett? Whoa, careful now---"

Radek was close to a panic. "No...no time, Sergeant. The major, he's seriously hurt. Hit his head, went into a seizure---" Stackhouse's features darkened at that last detail. "Carson's gotten him stabilized, but for how long, I don't know...I need to talk to Elizabeth, _now!"_

Stackhouse nodded and began speaking into his radio mike. "Colonel Sheppard, Doctor Zelenka's here...dunno, he just appeared out of nowhere, sir...said that Lorne's severely injured and Beckett's with him...hold on, lemme ask him." The sergeant put his hands on Radek's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "How'd you get out, Doc? Can we get to Lorne and Beckett through the same way?"

"_Dvere_, through a door, just like how we got in." He shook his head. "There, on the side facing the plaza, and not the front door. Had to fix the circuitry, it took a while, but I got it to work."

One of Stackhouse's men approached them in time to hear Radek's explanation. "Are you sure, Doctor Zelenka? There's no door on that side of the building. I just checked."

"Yes, I'm sure, Corporal!" Radek used his hands to demonstrate. "The door just expanded, swallowed me up and spit me out into the plaza, just like the first time."

"Can you show us where the door is? Maybe it's just hidden from us, so we can't find it." Stackhouse tapped his mike. "Yes, sir. So, Doctor El-Hamra's already on her way here and you're leaving the lab now? We'll hold position till you and Doctor McKay arrive. Stackhouse, out."

"Is not far. Over here." Radek led them around the corner, then stopped so abruptly that Stackhouse ran into him and nearly knocked him over. "_Do prdele! _It's gone!"

The corporal shrugged and said, "I told you, Doc. It isn't there anymore."

"Wait!" a feminine voice interrupted them. Zeina El-Hamra came up to them, out of breath; she'd been running. She pointed at the ornate design on the wall. "There's an inscription here. It translates roughly to 'Come in'."

"Come in through _where_? Do we just clap our hands and say 'abracadabra'?"

El-Hamra shook her head, not bothered by Radek's sarcasm. "There is a control, hidden somewhere on this wall...unfortunately, it doesn't say where---"

Radek narrowed his eyes at the deceptively smooth wall. He tried to visualize a door somewhere within it, tried to remember how the Ancient (if it had been an Ancient) had directed him to it. The network of twisted wires and crystals inset in the doorframe, the outburst of power as it literally threw him outside. There had been one circuit that prevented the door from operating properly.

"The designs on the wall is part of inscriptions, yes?" At El-Hamra's nod, he reached forward and touched the ridged indentations set in the stone. "Perhaps the control circuits are also embedded within, so that the entrance is more difficult to find."

She slapped a palm gently on her forehead. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?"

"I just thought of it myself, Zeina, don't feel bad. Sergeant, will you inform Doctor McKay of this possibility? He will want to know."

Stackhouse nodded. "Of course, Doctor Zelenka." He went off to do just that as Radek continued to slide his hands along the ornamentation etched into the wall. El-Hamra did the same, from the opposite direction, and together, they searched for the control panel that would activate the door.

Finally, there was a large, warm spot under his palms that rapidly expanded to include his section of the wall. Radek braced himself for yet another violent entrance, but the wall only glowed under his fingertips. It formed a door wide enough for them to enter single-file.

"_My to máme._ We found it!" For the first time since this whole crisis began, Radek broke out into a wide grin.

Stackhouse efficiently took over the rescue mission. "Doctor Cezivic, get your medical team together. Let's get Lorne and Beckett out of there."

There was a chorus of "Yes, sir"s as everyone scrambled. The sound of running footsteps interrupted the jubilant celebration, and Colonel Sheppard and Rodney McKay came flying around the corner.

"What the---"Rodney said, his jaw dropping. "You found a way in?"

"Doctor Zelenka did," Stackhouse confirmed.

"Good job, Radek," Sheppard told him as he clapped the smaller man on the shoulder.

McKay glanced at Radek and nodded to himself. Radek saw the relief in the scientist's eyes, although McKay wouldn't say it aloud. _That's all right. I know him better. He does not have to say it. _Instead, Rodney said, "I hope you'll explain just how you managed to do that."

"Later, Rodney, I promise." At Sheppard's nod, Radek motioned the medteam and the Marine escort forward. "This way."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, don't make money off 'em.**

**Genre: Adventure/Drama, AU**

**Rating: T/PG-13**

**Word Count: 3205**

**Archive?: Ask me first. Thanks.**

**Pairings: None (thought a bit of unrequited Zelenka/OC. Radek's completely clueless about it!)**

**Notes: Elizabeth and Nadiya have a chat, while Evan and Carson get whumped. Again. I love Lorne's character, but I can't help but whump him. LOL!**

**Spoilers for SGA episodes "Before I Sleep" and "Poisoning the Well".**

**Thanks to all who have put this story on their alerts. :) Please review! I'd like to know if this story works. Thanks. And Bluedragon 007, I like Stackhouse's character too, and you're right...there aren't enough fics where he's present.

* * *

**

**Five**

Elizabeth Weir stood in the Ancient laboratory, after John, Rodney and Zeina had left at Sergeant Stackhouse's call. She breathed a sigh of relief at Radek's unexpected appearance, but worried about both Evan and Carson. Radek had said that Evan was injured and that Carson was taking care of him.

_Hang on, Evan. We'll get you both out of there. _ She didn't want to think about Atlantis without the no-nonsense military officer and her CMO. Her mouth quirked upward in a grin despite herself. _Who's going to keep John in line?_

She shook her head and continued to look at the list on Rodney's details described vases, paintings, sculptures, musical instruments, weapons, electronic equipment and utensils. Point of origin, the artisan's name, the colors of each item, the dimensions, even if there were any flaws in the piece. Whoever had made the account had been thorough. Rodney's star map confirmed his theory of planets that the Expedition had visited before, and had encountered "malfunctioning" Ancient technology.

Could the Ancients have left those faulty items behind on purpose? Elizabeth had her suspicions, considering how much trouble the Expedition had been in, thanks to that Ancient tech. She remembered Peter Grodin had once complained that the Ancients must have taken everything of use with them to Earth and left the rejects behind. Maybe Peter had been right.

She felt an old pang, like she always did, whenever she thought about Peter. One of many victims of the Wraith. Elizabeth sighed and returned to the information. There was one important detail missing from the records. The estimated, or actual, cost of the items in question. Elizabeth found that rather odd. Wouldn't the owner want to know exactly how much her belongings were worth? Unless that was simply not important.

"These have no monetary price. It's all that's left of the people who are gone," she murmured. Elizabeth felt another pang for so much culture, so much knowledge lost.

"You are quite perceptive for one so young. You surprise me."

Elizabeth turned to see a dark-haired woman dressed in a white Ancient gown. The intense blue eyes reminded her of Carson's whenever he was tackling a medical mystery. Her smirk was eerily like Rodney's, the lazy stance like John's. They just stood there, gazing at each other, for a long moment.

_I've seen her before. Where? _Elizabeth racked her brain, but couldn't shake the nagging feeling. Instead, she said aloud, "Nadriya, I presume?"

Nadriya bowed her head slightly, but the eyes didn't lose their edge. "And you are Elizabeth Weir. You are the expedition leader. Evan said you could be trusted, that you would be willing to listen."

Elizabeth felt a stirring of hope. "Is Major Lorne all right? And Doctors Zelenka and Beckett?"

"He is fine. Carson is watching over him, and your people are in the process of recovering them."

Elizabeth let out a long breath of relief. "Thank you." Then she noticed she'd called Carson and Evan by name. Nadriya's mouth stretched into a tight smile

"I know of the others who have Lantean blood, like Evan and Carson. It is obvious that the Lanteans have passed down their talents in varying degrees."

"Yes, the Ancients did leave something good behind when they returned to Pegasus."

Nadriya narrowed her eyes. "Tell me, Elizabeth, for one who does _not_ possess the blood, how do you view them? The Lanteans, whom you call the Ancients? Do you believe they were infallible? To be worshiped like gods?"

She inclined her head. Nadriya had referred to her own people as "Lantean" and not "my people". From what Elizabeth had found out about her, Nadriya carried a huge grudge against the ones who ultimately imprisoned her in her own home. Elizabeth knew she had to tread carefully, for it was obvious that Nadriya was not completely sane.

_You wouldn't be, either, if you'd spent the last ten thousand or so years in a computer archive. _Elizabeth's mouth twitched again_. And being in a stasis pod isn't so much better, but at least my other self still possessed some of her faculties._

"They were Human, just like us. Granted, they built Atlantis, invested themselves in technology, and did wondrous things...but they could also be capricious, petty and cruel. They weren't perfect by any means."

"Indeed. Yet they fascinate you to no end."

"I'm an explorer. That's what brought me here in the first place. Learning about different people and cultures, extending the hand of friendship and trade, that's my calling." Elizabeth waved a hand to encompass the lab and added, "This is different from where I come from, and so it does fascinate me."

"Even though you know about those cruelties they imposed on others in the name of their survival?"

She nodded slowly. "My race isn't known for their complete benevolence, either. We've also things that are shameful, things that hurt other people. As I said, none of us is perfect, despite what some might believe."

Again, Nadriya's smile held no humor. "Humility is a trait that was surely lacking among my kind. Even the ones who meant well. Like Janus."

Elizabeth remembered the man who had built the time-traveling jumper, and who had made it possible for her to save her expedition and change history. "Yes. I knew Janus briefly."

"I know." For the first time, genuine mirth quirked her lips upward. "I saw your Other self, from afar."

It didn't surprise Elizabeth. "You did?"

"Yes." Nadriya chuckled. "My sanity was nearly gone by the time Janus and the others prepared to leave, but he knew he couldn't take me with him, so he made it possible to download my consciousness into my archive computer. I did so, while the others made the final arrangements to go to Earth. I am not surprised they did not tell your Other about me; I'm sure they had other important issues on their minds at the time."

Elizabeth winced at the bitter tone. "I didn't know. If I'd had---well, what brought your consciousness back?"

"Evan discovered my gallery. I wanted someone who shared my love of the aesthetics on more than just an intellectual level; I needed someone who understood it on a spiritual level. Most of the others are just interested in numbers and so-called facts and just would not understand."

She nodded again. "That makes sense; Evan is an artist. And Doctor Zelenka?"

"Radek?" Nadriya's smile became wolfish again. "He is capable of solving some of Atlantis's mysteries without the 'assistance' of the one who thinks he is superior. He discovered the exit by himself, by doing the work, and not expounding on the details while _others_ do the work."

Elizabeth winced again. _Ouch. To the point. _"You really don't like Rodney, do you?"

"From the first moment he stepped into my office and accessed my archive, his actions reminded me of some of my less-than-flexible colleagues."

Elizabeth shook her head as she defended McKay's good nature. "We've all changed since we've gotten here. Rodney's mellowed a lot since he stepped foot in the City, Nadriya. Give him a chance; he might surprise you."

Nadriya only shrugged. "Strange, Evan said the same thing about you, and you have pleasantly surprised me. I was expecting a woman who hid behind smoke and mirrors, who used words to manipulate others to do her bidding."

"There are those who would use those exact words to describe what I do," she said with an honest laugh. "Unfortunately, it's true to an extent, but I can reassure you, when it comes to issues that matter---" Elizabeth held the direct gaze, "---sometimes actions speak louder."

The Ancient woman seemed to mull over that for a long moment, then she nodded briskly. "Very well. I will allow your people access to all the information I've gathered and stored. I ask that you do all you possibly can to keep these people alive."

"'As long as their stories are told, they are not really dead, only slumbering, till they are awakened again.'."

"Yes." Nadriya's eyes became a dark stormy blue, and again, Elizabeth was struck by how much she resembled Carson. "I trust that your people will never suffer the same hubris as mine?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "That I cannot promise you, but I _can_ promise that as long as I'm alive---and others like Evan, John, Carson and Rodney---we'll do our best to keep humble. No one's perfect, even the Ancients, Ascended or otherwise."

For the first time, Nadriya smiled. "True. You are a treasure beyond price, Elizabeth Weir. I bid you farewell, and perhaps, we may meet again sometime." She nodded once, then faded from sight, leaving Elizabeth alone in the laboratory.

She took a deep breath and let it out. Somehow, she knew that she'd meet Nadriya again. "Perhaps," she said softly.

* * *

Carson eyed the artifacts with a skeptical look. Evan knew the doctor was skittish around most Ancient technology, but one that could transport you into another time and place, and make you experience that other location...Evan didn't blame Carson one bit. Carson nodded after Evan finished telling him about it.

"You think _I _could do the same thing?"

"Nadriya implied that anyone with the Ancient gene could do it, Doc. Apparently, she wanted her people to know the consequences of their actions." Evan sighed and shook his head. "She's got a grudge against those who wronged her. Now that covers _anyone _with the gene."

"If you ask me, she's gone a little daft."

Evan snorted. "You're telling me. Anyway, she agreed to talk with Doctor Weir, while I 'convince' you of the Ancients' great folly."

"You don't need to convince me, lad. They did great things, but they also did stupid things as well."

"Yeah, I agree with you. Nadriya's connected with her gallery in some way; that's how she was able to know whenever I accessed any of the artifacts' information."

Carson nodded again. "So you're sayin' that she'd know if you'd kept your word and let me see what all this is about."

"Pretty much."

He sighed and managed a smile. "Well, I suppose it's worth a try. All right, how _do _you do this?"

Evan glanced around the room at the empty pedestals. "There's an electronic strip embedded into the base of each pedestal. Pick one and touch it. You'll see an image of the artifact. Somewhere on it is a symbol that looks like an upside down "v" with a circle in the middle. Touch that, and it'll send you where you need to go."

"All right." Carson licked his lips nervously. "And how do I get out?"

"Once it's done, it automatically kicks you out. If you seem to be in any trouble, I'll get you out."

"I'm holdin' you to that, lad." Carson's eyes made a slow circuit around the room, until he saw a low marble table in the corner. "How about that one?"

The rainbow shell insert extended down the entire length of the table. Carson took a deep breath, then ran his finger on it. Almost immediately, Evan saw the flickering image of a book on the table. It was open to a page of intricate writing, held fast by a golden bookmark.

"I see it, Doc. The symbol's on the bookmark."

"Aye." Carson took a deep breath and said, "Here goes." He brushed his hand on the symbol...

...and unexpectedly, Evan found himself pulled along with him.

* * *

Darkness. Nothing but darkness. Evan couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. He took a cautious step backward and bumped into someone, someone who muttered an oath in Gaelic.

"Doc?" he whispered.

"Here," Carson replied in a low tone. "Where are we? I can't see a bloody thing."

" I don't know, but...hey, you smell something burning?"

"It's comin' from over there."

The light of a candle illuminated a corner of the room, and Evan would have sworn it hadn't been there before. He could see the dim outline of Carson as the doctor moved toward the light. Evan followed, all of his senses alert for trouble. Then he realized what was going on: the looming bulk of a bookshelf hid most of the light. They were in some sort of library or archive.

Evan peered around the end of the row of books. On the other side of the shelf sat a woman dressed in white, her auburn hair pinned up in a tight bun. She scratched something on parchment paper with a quill, then dipped the quill into an inkwell near her right hand. The woman looked up, sighed, and rubbed her temple with her left hand.

Carson cursed softly as he pressed himself against the bookshelf. Evan glanced sideways at the doctor's expression of pure grief. "Doc?" he asked. "What is it?"

"I know where we are. We're on Hoff."

"Hoff?" Evan searched his memories before he remembered why the name sounded familiar. It was before he joined the Expedition; Carson had helped with a retrovirus that would protect the Hoffans, but that 'cure' ended up killing half of the people inoculated with it. "Oh, no."

"Aye." Carson still had his eyes closed. "I remember they'd been almost obsessed with preserving the work of their ancestors; they stored it all in multiple archives, so if one fell to the Wraith, the information wouldn't be lost. This must be one of them."

"And the book---?"

"One of the volumes in their archives." He shook his head. "I should've recognized the writing."

"What happened wasn't your fault, Doc."

Carson opened his eyes, but the anguish in them was awful to see. "I dinna think that---"

The walls shuddered, sending some of the books flying to the ground. Evan managed to dive out of the way, grabbing Carson by the shoulder just in time as the shelf came crashing down. The woman at the desk stood up in alarm, her wide eyes focused on the ceiling as the dust rained down on her.

A man burst into the room. "They are coming! We must go now!"

She nodded and slammed the book shut, heedless of the drops of ink that splattered everywhere. "Help me carry these."

"There's no time! Leave them!"

"If we do that, all of our work is lost. Now, _help me!"_

The man cursed, but picked up several small folios and stuffed them into the pocket of his jacket. She took several fountain pens from a tray and put them into a pouch at her waist. Then she clutched the huge volume she was working on to her chest and ran in Evan and Carson's direction. Screams echoed from the shadows of the archive.

She rounded the corner and collided with the two men. The impact knocked Evan flat on his face and he lay there, stunned. Carson struggled to untangle himself from the woman, who tried to push him away. Then she looked up at the doctor, her gray eyes wide with surprise and wonder.

Evan pushed himself up to a sitting position. _She actually _sees _him_, he thought. _The first time, at the potter's kiln, I got hit on the head, but when I was with Nadriya, we were observers, not participants. The woman sees the Doc, but she doesn't know _I'm_ here._

"I-I'm sorry, lass---"

"No, it was my fault," she stammered. "The Wraith are close by, and we can't afford to lose---" She gazed up at Carson, then seemed to come to a decision. "You carry the burden of the Ancients; I can see it in your soul. You grieve for what was, now you must protect what will be."

"What are you talkin' about?"

She pushed the heavy volume into his hands. "Take this. Read it, study it, use it. Don't allow our legacy to die. You've carried the guilt, no matter how misplaced, for long enough. This will be the means for your redemption." She smiled at him. "_Our _redemption."

"Layna! Hurry!" her companion shouted.

"I am coming!" Layna got to her feet, but hesitated for a moment. Then she bent and kissed Carson quickly on the cheek, turned and ran out of sight. Stunned, Carson could only stare after her, one hand on his cheek, the other on the book in his lap.

The sound of Wraith stunners was close. Evan scrambled to Carson's side. "You okay? We gotta get out of here!"

"Aye," Carson rasped, as Evan pulled him to his feet. "Oh, crap---!"

Two Wraith soldiers appeared from behind the piles of fallen books. Evan pushed the doctor backward as one of the Wraith saw them and headed in their direction. Neither Evan nor Carson were armed; Evan knew he had to buy time for Carson to escape.

"Get out of here, Doc!" A cold, rational part of Evan's mind was aware of his physical body, lying on the floor of Nadriya's gallery. He knew he wouldn't survive another injury; another seizure would kill him, but he was a soldier, and it was his duty to protect civilians like Carson. Evan felt a strange, peaceful calm come over him. Whatever happened, he was ready.

Of course, he hadn't depended on how resourceful the doctor was. As the Wraith snapped his arm out, palm aimed at Carson's chest, Carson swung the heavy volume in a wide arc and caught the Wraith in the side of the head. The pure adrenalin lent extra strength to the blow, and the Wraith went flying.

_Kneel before me. _Evan tried to resist the command, but his knees buckled. He found himself in front of the second Wraith, unable to move as it bared its teeth, its hand mere inches from his skin. _You and your friend will die this day. I believe you will be quite satisfactory._

"Go to hell," Evan gritted through his teeth.

The Wraith laughed. "You first."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, don't make money off 'em.**

**Genre: Adventure/Drama, AU**

**Rating: T/PG-13**

**Word Count: 2228**

**Archive?: Ask me first. Thanks.**

**Pairings: None (though a bit of unrequited Zelenka/OC. Radek finally gets a clue in this last chapter.)**

**Our heroes find themselves in a LOT of trouble. And in my universe, Sergeant Stackhouse has the ATA gene and a first name, Victor. Vic for short. Some banter between Evan and Rodney and Rodney and Carson...honestly, I don't think Rodney's an ogre. Really.**

**Tiny spoilers for "Hot Zone" and "Runner". The last scene is the one from "Sunday" that originally inspired this fic, the one where Evan explains to Carson about his artistic background. [I really hated Carson dying...but he came back. Sort of.] Scene dialogue is from the episode transcript on Gateworld.**

**Thanks to all who's read this. Please review! Thanks!

* * *

**

**Six**

Evan braced himself for the agony, but it never reached him. Sharp buzzing noises passed close to his ear, and suddenly, he was free. He hit the floor at an awkward angle, and pain shot through his right arm. He managed to scramble backward until he hit someone's legs.

"Get off my foot, Major! How am I supposed to get you out of here if you're flattening it into a pancake? I swear, you're as bad as Sheppard when it comes to being the hero! Carson, help me get him up; I sure as hell can't carry him!"

Evan glared up at one irate Chief of Science and fought a smirk. For some reason, it was amusing to see him so flustered; Evan remembered that day on the planet where'd they first met Ronon Dex. Since then, Evan couldn't help needling him.

"_McKay_? About time the cavalry got here."

"Yes, it's me, Major, and if you want to get out of this house of horrors, get up!" McKay swore again and fired his P-90 repeatedly into a Wraith that had popped up out of nowhere.

"Nice to know you care," Evan groused as he tried to get to his feet. His arm hurt like hell; he must have broken it when he went down. McKay pulled him up and supported him on one side, while Carson did the same on the other side. Evan caught the quirky expression that Carson gave Rodney.

"Knew you'd come for us, Rodney."

"Of course I'd come and get you! If I didn't, I'd have to go to Doctor Biro for my check-ups, and would you go to a woman who does autopsies for a living? Don't think so."

"Milena's not _that _bad..."

"Would _you _go to her?"

Carson paused, then replied, "Aye, you might have a point there."

Evan tried to cover his snort of laughter, but wasn't successful. He caught McKay's exasperated look, but the Canadian's eyes twinkled in humor. _Maybe Rodney isn't too bad after all, _Evan thought.

"Move it!" yelled John. The colonel shot an energy blast at a fourth Wraith as Sergeant Stackhouse picked up a random book and chucked it at another attacker. Stackhouse nodded at one of the shelves and John's face lit up with grim humor. The two men positioned themselves at either end of the shelf, then shoved it at a whole line of Wraith who'd just charged through the door. Books went flying as the heavy shelf fell onto the Wraith with a sickening crash.

"C'mon, Vic. Time to leave this party."

Stackhouse nodded. "Yes, sir." The two soldiers covered their escape. Evan felt a pang of guilt, for he should be helping them, not slowing them down.

"How'd you find us?" Evan shouted, as they retreated into the darkness.

"Zelenka," Rodney replied tersely. "He found a way out, then discovered how to get back into the building without getting trapped again. Elizabeth chatted with that Ancient woman and convinced her that even though some of us have the gene, we aren't set on rampaging and pillaging the universe."

Evan closed his eyes and sighed in relief. Radek had made it out, he was safe. Then Evan's eyes popped back open as another thought occurred to him. "Um, you do realize that this little trip is all in our heads, right?"

"If this is what you dream about, Major, I'm never going to go through another mind meld with you ever again."

Carson snorted. "Rodney!"

"Nadriya allowed us to come get you, but it only works with people who have the gene," John explained as he caught up with them, "which is how we were able to get into your heads, so to speak. She warned us the transition's pretty rough--"

"Yeah, tell me about it," Evan muttered.

Carson's grip tightened on his arm. "Don't worry, lad. We'll get you through."

"Too stubborn to give up," Rodney grumbled, just loud enough for Evan to hear.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, McKay," Evan said, with a grin.

Stackhouse saw it first, a slice of sunlight surrounded by glowing Ancient technology. "Colonel, there's some sort of doorway ahead of us."

"That's our way out," John drawled. "Hold on, we're almost there. On three. One, two—-"

* * *

Evan felt a vicious tug propel him forward and spit him out the other side. There was the sensation of falling, then pain hit him. He was dimly aware of people shouting above him, something about not breathing, about needing an electric shock. He thought he heard McKay yelling at Carson, that if the Scotsman died on him, McKay was going to kick his ass so hard it was going to _bounce_ off the Ascended Plane and end up somewhere on the edge of the universe. Then again, that wouldn't be good, because then McKay and Sheppard would have to take a Jumper to get him, and waste time better used elsewhere...

_Nice to have someone who cares,_ Evan thought fuzzily. He managed to raise his head a little to see Sheppard kneeling at his side. The intensity in the colonel's eyes made it quite clear.

"Stay with us, Evan. That's an order."

He managed a smile and whispered, "Yes, sir," before he sank into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"How long am I gonna be in here, Doc?"

Carson Beckett rolled his eyes as he noted something on Evan's chart. He replied, "Until I say so and not a moment before."

Evan grinned and sat back in the infirmary bed. "Fine with me, Doc." At Carson's skeptical expression, he added, "Hey, I'm not gonna try to sneak out, like a certain Colonel we both know."

John Sheppard's squawk of protest could have been heard a mile away, even though the Colonel leaned on the wall next to Evan's bed. "Hey! I don't sneak out. I just, um...quietly leave to take care of pressing business."

It was Carson's turn to snort in derision. "Right, Colonel." He grinned over at Radek Zelenka, who had appeared a few feet away with his trademark stealth. "And how are you feeling today, Radek?"

The Czech chuckled and said, "I am fine, Carson. I just wanted to let Major Lorne know that I will have to cancel our chess game for tonight."

Evan raised an eyebrow at Radek's flushed expression and couldn't help but tease him. "Got a date?"

Radek's faced reddened even more. "Not a date. Marta's laptop is not working correctly and she asked me to fix it. Very important medical data, the repair cannot wait."

"Ah. In that case, we can play chess another time." Evan's grin grew wider. "Whew. Saved by a malfunctioning laptop." He exchanged looks with Carson, who only shrugged.

"Aye, well, Marta's research is pretty important, so I'm glad you're helpin' her, Radek." He inclined his head. "Go then, son, don't keep her waitin'."

Radek ducked his head. "Thank you, Carson. Get well soon, Major."

"Thanks, Radek." He watched as the Czech beat a hasty retreat past John Sheppard, who only grinned and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"I need you up and around as soon as possible, okay?" He clapped Evan on the shoulder. "Good to have you back with us."

"Thank you, sir." He would have saluted if his right arm hadn't been in a cast, but John seemed to understand. The colonel ambled out in Radek's wake.

"I'll be in my office if you need me, Major," Carson said. "Try to get some rest. You've had a stressful day."

"Thanks, Doc." Carson walked out of view as Evan tried to settle back onto the pillows. He was almost asleep when he heard her voice.

"Evan? Do you hear me?"

He turned his head to see Nadriya sitting at his bedside. She smiled at him; it transformed her face, softened it. There was no trace of the bitterness in her eyes and her voice. "Elizabeth has agreed to allow all of your people to see, catalog, and examine the artifacts in my gallery. She has also promised to protect them, and appoint a temporary curator. I will refrain from interfering with any of Lantean blood and with the functions of Atlantis."

She inclined her head in the direction where Carson had gone. "Your friend is a hardy sort; I believe he told me that it's a common trait among his people." Her eyes sparkled with humor. "He has agreed to fulfill his promise to Layna, and release her knowledge to the world. He is an honorable sort, as you are."

Evan blushed, despite his best efforts. "I'm not---"

"Oh, you are, as well as the rest of your people. The colonel, the scientist, the sergeant, they risked their lives to bring you back. Although they also have Lantean blood, it seems that there is hope for us yet." She laughed at his nonplussed look. "Even the ones who do not have the gene, like your engineer and your leader, you all work toward a common goal of peace."

"We try."

"In any case, I will not be remaining long; I believe that my work here is finished."

Evan nodded. "Where will you go? Join the others?"

"Ascend?" Nadriya wrinkled her nose in an expression of distaste. "And not be able to help those who need it? That is one rule I cannot abide by. I think my old colleagues put that rule in place so they wouldn't have to fix anything they had broken."

He chuckled. "Rebel. Doctor Weir was right."

"A wise woman, in many ways." A sudden mischievous grin spread across her face. "Oh, and before I go...tell Radek that item you thought was a waste disposal unit is actually an regulator that controlled energy flow to that area of the city. He'll want to examine it a lot more closely."

Her non sequetur confused him, until he remembered how Zelenka had complained about the items they'd found that morning before they'd stumbled over the gallery. Evan chuckled and shook his head. "I'll tell him."

Nadriya's eyes softened. "Farewell, Evan. And every time you touch your canvas, think of me."

And she vanished from sight, leaving him alone in the Infirmary.

* * *

_A year later..._

He concentrated on the spectacular view in front of him as he tried to get the colors just right. The city was gorgeous today, on his day off, and he wanted to do it justice. Radek had asked him if he was interested in playing chess with him, but Evan knew better. So Evan had left the Czech on his one-man sweep of the hapless Chess Club, and came here to this pier with his canvas and paints.

His mouth quirked upward in humor. He wondered what Nadriya would have thought of his latest painting. Evan was so absorbed in what he was doing he didn't hear Carson Beckett come up behind him until the doctor spoke.

"You paint!"

He turned and grinned at Carson. "Hey, Doc. Yeah, I paint."

"And you're good, too."

Evan shrugged good-naturedly. "My mom was an art teacher. It's what we did on weekends. Stopped for a while---didn't really have time for it during basic training, first couple of years on duty---but I'm picking it up again. Hard not to with views like that, huh?"

Carson smiled as he looked out into the distance. "Aye." Then he hesitated and went on, "Um, I don't suppose there's any chance you'd like to come fishing with me on the mainland, is there?"

Evan chuckled and shook his head as he touched up on his painting. "If you'd got to me earlier, maybe, but I kinda wanna finish this up."

Carson frowned. "Och, it looks done to me."

He glanced sideways at replied with a smile, " That is why _I_ am the painter and _you_ a doctor."

Carson laughed. "Very good point. Enjoy the rest of your day, Major.

Evan grinned, "You can count on it."

After the doctor left, he gazed once more at the view and he thought he heard Nadriya chuckling too.


End file.
